SAINT PAUL, Minn. -- With a key player injured and a long road trip underway, the New Jersey Devils need to find new sources of offense.

On Sunday, they heard from defenseman Jon Merrill for the first time in a long, long time.

Merrill scored his first goal in 13 months, netting the game-winner as the Devils snapped a three-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory in a defensive battle with the Minnesota Wild.

Goaltender Cory Schneider did the rest of the work for the Devils, stopping 17 shots for a New Jersey team that has scored just four goals in its past four games. Center Adam Henrique also scored for the Devils (21-17-5).

"This is the time where you need guys to step up," Henrique said. "There's a lot of opportunity for guys coming in the lineup and getting more of a chance to play. We need guys to take advantage of that."

Wild goaltender Darcy Kuemper returned from an injury to make 15 saves in the loss. Left winger Zach Parise had the only goal for Minnesota (22-12-8), scoring for the first time against his former team.

"I think I've only had one pregame skate with the group since I've been back," Kuemper said. "Some of the timing needs to be a little bit sharper, but I just tried to keep my game simple and stay as square to the puck as possible and kind of let the play come to me."

After a sleepy first 40 minutes, the teams traded goals in a quick stretch early in the third period.

Henrique broke the scoreless deadlock with a rising shot at 1:21 that eluded Kuemper high on the glove side. The short-handed goal followed a turnover by Minnesota defenseman Jonas Brodin.

Minnesota answered less than two minutes later when center Mikko Koivu passed from behind the net to Parise at the top of the crease, and the long-time Devil popped a shot past Schneider. It gave Parise at least one goal against all 30 NHL teams. He spent the first seven seasons of his NHL career with the Devils.

"Ugly, uneventful game," was all Parise would say afterward, failing to acknowledge the milestone.

Merrill snapped the 1-1 tie with his first goal since December 2014, snapping an 81-game streak without scoring. He beat Kuemper on the glove side with a wrist shot at 6:26.

"I think you see tonight just the difference in the game when we can get some offense from our defensemen, whether that's in the rush or the offensive blue line, it's a big difference for us," Devils coach John Hynes said. "It was nice to see him get his first goal, and we need to continue that with our defensemen."

The scoreless first period featured just 10 total shots on goal, with the Devils getting seven. A pair of Minnesota penalties just 14 seconds apart gave New Jersey 1:46 of five-on-three power play. The Devils managed two shots during the advantage but did not score.

There were just 10 more shots in the second period, with neither team posing much of a threat to their opposing goalie. Perhaps the loudest ovation of the period came when Wild center Ryan Carter and Devils right winger Jordin Tootoo dropped the gloves and squared off in the neutral zone. Both were given five-minute penalties for the fight.

"We know that they're going to play hard," Wild coach Mike Yeo said. "We know that they're going to play a structured game. We know it's going to be a tough game. It's about us. It's about our game and making sure that we're prepared and ready for the type of game that we need to play."

Kuemper was playing for the first time since he beat the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 22. He had been out of uniform for seven games after sustaining a concussion in practice.

New Jersey was playing its fourth consecutive game without left winger Mike Cammalleri. The team's leading scorer is on injured reserve due to an upper-body ailment.

NOTES: The 52 points amassed by the Wild in their first 41 games are the most collected through half a season in franchise history. ... Corey Schneider is the fifth Devils goalie to be selected to an All-Star Game. The first was Glenn "Chico" Resch in 1984. Resch was also a long-time Devils broadcaster who retired from the booth last year. ... Wild rookie D Mike Reilly, playing his first game in Minnesota's home rink, was the victim of a pregame prank. He led the team onto the ice for warmups, only to have the rest of the Wild stay on the bench. Reilly made a solo lap around the rink before the rest of the team joined him. ... New Jersey is in a stretch of four consecutive road games and will visit the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. The Devils also travel to Colorado and Arizona before their next home game. ... The Wild are in the midst of a three-game homestand, and they will host the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday.